Antidorcas recki is one of the ancient animal that might had been springbok's ancestor.
Scientific Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Mammalia
Order
Artiodactyla
Family
Bovidae
Genus
Antidorcas
Species
Antidorcas Recki
Habitat
Map 1. A.Recki Distribution map. Image from http://zipcodezoo.com/Animals/A/Antidorcas_recki/
Fossils of A. Recki (Antidorcas recki) has been found in places in Africa, where some of it are located at the eastern side of Africa, such as Djibouti, Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia, while others are found in South Africa. The A. Recki Fossils are dated to around the Pleistocene to early plestocene, which is around 5.33 to 0.781 million years ago, when Earth’s is in Pliocene to Calabrian period, which is around 5.332 to 0.781 millions years ago. The earth then has similar land shape as now. So base on where the fossils have been found, A. recki would properly be located around the green areas on the map 1.
The temperature during the Pliocene to Calabrian period are similar to the ones now on earth, with only maybe a few degree difference. What this means is that, again, Springbok's possible ancestor, just like springbok, have lived in a environment that's suitable for an animal with a coat of short fur.
Similar to its descendent Springbok, it is most likely that the Antidorcas recki has a similar set of predictors. Predictors with sharp claws and teeth, such as the descendents of lion, the Europian Cave Lion that eats deers, and maybe the descendents of Jackels. It would be a disadvantage for A. recki to travel alone as it would make itself a easy targets for its predictors, which is one of the reasons why A. recki travel in a herd.
Map 2: climate during Pliocene period Image from http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9e/Pliocene_megabiome.png/800px-Pliocene_megabiome.png
As shown in map 2, during the Pliocene period, places such as Djibouti, Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia, where A. Recki fossils had been found, have a habitat of Savannah, and near it, are tropical forest, woodland type of habitat. This means that the ancestor of Springbok, lives in a place where trees are rather small and/or are placed widely spread, which is similar to the environment where modern Springbok lives.
Adaption Structure
Smaller body (Structure 1)
Comparing to springbok, its ancestor Antidorcas recki is a smaller antelope with a smaller overall size body. A smaller body would had been better for A. Recki (Antidorcas Recki) as they live in a woodland environment, where with a smaller body, they can hide more easily and make escapes faster than if they had a huge body.
Environmental Pressure
An Environmental pressure that might have caused A. recki to have a small body is that because of the environment they live in. Living in a woodland environment like the A. Recki did, it is more convenient to have a smaller body to hide and escape, where as a bigger body might have been hard to hide and run in woodland.
Horns (Structure 2)
Just like its descendent springbok and other antelopes, A. recki has horns. The horns of A. recki are bended backward to its tips sharply and show more compression that it’s descendent springbok. And also, unlike most antelopes, which has a solid horn, its horns are not filled, instead, they are hollow, like a sheep. Just like any other animal, A. recki could have used its horns to fight for mates or territories, and to defend itself from predators.
Environmental pressure
An environmental pressure that might have cause might be to be competitive to others of its kind. As the ram (male antelope) that won is proven to be stronger, or strongest in the group, which means that ewes (female antelope) are most likely to mate with him and it’s genes are past down. Behavioral
Eating (Behavioral 1)
Antidorcas recki, with the ancestors of the even-toed ungulates which are omnivores that preferred plant material, are not omnivores. They are just like its descendent springbok, they are herbivore. But unlike Springbok, A.recki does not eat grass, but browse on bushes, eating leaves.
Environmental pressure
An environmental pressure that might have cause this eating habit are because of A. Recki’s living environment. As A. Recki lives near the woodland environment, it can browse on bushes and trees, which is unlike springbok, which lives in a environment with little trees.
Traveling together (Behavioral 2)
Judging by where its fossils are found, the Antidorcas recki are, like its descendent springbok, most likely to traveled in a herd around with around nine to ten antelopes. By being in a herd, it benefits animals like A. recki, as they don't have sharp claws like lions or other predictor that could be used to attack its predictor. One of the best way to keep safe for animals like A. recki is being in a herd.
Environmental Pressure
One of the environmental pressure for the A. Recki that makes them travel in groups are because their habitat and its predictors. By traveling in groups, it helps keep them safe, as predictors are less likely to attack a group, as it would be much harder than just attacking one animal. And also, when there is a herd of animals, there are more eyes to spot predictor. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Physiological Lungs
Just like any other antelopes and most mammals, Antidorcas recki has a lung that is used to obtain oxygen. By breathing in carbon dia-oxide, the lung, like it does to every mammal, transfer oxygen into the blood stream, which then goes to every part of its body. Without the lungs, A. Recki would not have been able to survive at all, as with no oxygen, it dies.
Environmental Pressure
One of the possible environmental pressure for the lungs transferring oxygen into the blood stream is the environment that A. Recki lives in. A. Recki is not a fish, or mammals living under water, such as Lungfish or Eels, where A. Recki doesn't get oxygen from the water from the gills like other animal that lives under water, and the way for them to get oxygen in their lung.
Extinction pressure
Antidorcas recki becomes extinct as it evolved into springbok, where it changes from being a small antelope into bigger one, which its environments has change from east Africa to around South America. A. recki evolves and changes from only browsing on bushes in a woodland environment to a springbok which eats mostly grass in Savannah area. And even though A. Recki has evolved into Springbok, its structure of hollow horns and the habit of travelling together in a herd didn't change.
Bibilography
Reynolds, S.C. (2007). 'Temporal variation in Plio-Pleistocene Antidorcas (Mammalia: Bovidae) horncores: the case from Bolt's Farm and why size matters.' South African Journal of Science, no. 103 (January/February), pp. 47 - 50.
Antidorcas recki
Antidorcas recki is one of the ancient animal that might had been springbok's ancestor.
Scientific Classification
Habitat
Fossils of A. Recki (Antidorcas recki) has been found in places in Africa, where some of it are located at the eastern side of Africa, such as Djibouti, Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia, while others are found in South Africa. The A. Recki Fossils are dated to around the Pleistocene to early plestocene, which is around 5.33 to 0.781 million years ago, when Earth’s is in Pliocene to Calabrian period, which is around 5.332 to 0.781 millions years ago. The earth then has similar land shape as now. So base on where the fossils have been found, A. recki would properly be located around the green areas on the map 1.
The temperature during the Pliocene to Calabrian period are similar to the ones now on earth, with only maybe a few degree difference. What this means is that, again, Springbok's possible ancestor, just like springbok, have lived in a environment that's suitable for an animal with a coat of short fur.
Similar to its descendent Springbok, it is most likely that the Antidorcas recki has a similar set of predictors. Predictors with sharp claws and teeth, such as the descendents of lion, the Europian Cave Lion that eats deers, and maybe the descendents of Jackels. It would be a disadvantage for A. recki to travel alone as it would make itself a easy targets for its predictors, which is one of the reasons why A. recki travel in a herd.
Adaption
Structure
Smaller body (Structure 1)
Comparing to springbok, its ancestor Antidorcas recki is a smaller antelope with a smaller overall size body. A smaller body would had been better for A. Recki (Antidorcas Recki) as they live in a woodland environment, where with a smaller body, they can hide more easily and make escapes faster than if they had a huge body.
Environmental Pressure
An Environmental pressure that might have caused A. recki to have a small body is that because of the environment they live in. Living in a woodland environment like the A. Recki did, it is more convenient to have a smaller body to hide and escape, where as a bigger body might have been hard to hide and run in woodland.
Horns (Structure 2)
Just like its descendent springbok and other antelopes, A. recki has horns. The horns of A. recki are bended backward to its tips sharply and show more compression that it’s descendent springbok. And also, unlike most antelopes, which has a solid horn, its horns are not filled, instead, they are hollow, like a sheep. Just like any other animal, A. recki could have used its horns to fight for mates or territories, and to defend itself from predators.
Environmental pressure
An environmental pressure that might have cause might be to be competitive to others of its kind. As the ram (male antelope) that won is proven to be stronger, or strongest in the group, which means that ewes (female antelope) are most likely to mate with him and it’s genes are past down.
Behavioral
Eating (Behavioral 1)
Antidorcas recki, with the ancestors of the even-toed ungulates which are omnivores that preferred plant material, are not omnivores. They are just like its descendent springbok, they are herbivore. But unlike Springbok, A.recki does not eat grass, but browse on bushes, eating leaves.
Environmental pressure
An environmental pressure that might have cause this eating habit are because of A. Recki’s living environment. As A. Recki lives near the woodland environment, it can browse on bushes and trees, which is unlike springbok, which lives in a environment with little trees.
Traveling together (Behavioral 2)
Judging by where its fossils are found, the Antidorcas recki are, like its descendent springbok, most likely to traveled in a herd around with around nine to ten antelopes. By being in a herd, it benefits animals like A. recki, as they don't have sharp claws like lions or other predictor that could be used to attack its predictor. One of the best way to keep safe for animals like A. recki is being in a herd.
Environmental Pressure
One of the environmental pressure for the A. Recki that makes them travel in groups are because their habitat and its predictors. By traveling in groups, it helps keep them safe, as predictors are less likely to attack a group, as it would be much harder than just attacking one animal. And also, when there is a herd of animals, there are more eyes to spot predictor.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Physiological
Lungs
Just like any other antelopes and most mammals, Antidorcas recki has a lung that is used to obtain oxygen. By breathing in carbon dia-oxide, the lung, like it does to every mammal, transfer oxygen into the blood stream, which then goes to every part of its body. Without the lungs, A. Recki would not have been able to survive at all, as with no oxygen, it dies.
Environmental Pressure
One of the possible environmental pressure for the lungs transferring oxygen into the blood stream is the environment that A. Recki lives in. A. Recki is not a fish, or mammals living under water, such as Lungfish or Eels, where A. Recki doesn't get oxygen from the water from the gills like other animal that lives under water, and the way for them to get oxygen in their lung.
Extinction pressure
Antidorcas recki becomes extinct as it evolved into springbok, where it changes from being a small antelope into bigger one, which its environments has change from east Africa to around South America. A. recki evolves and changes from only browsing on bushes in a woodland environment to a springbok which eats mostly grass in Savannah area. And even though A. Recki has evolved into Springbok, its structure of hollow horns and the habit of travelling together in a herd didn't change.
Bibilography
Reynolds, S.C. (2007). 'Temporal variation in Plio-Pleistocene Antidorcas (Mammalia: Bovidae) horncores: the case from Bolt's Farm and why size matters.' South African Journal of Science, no. 103 (January/February), pp. 47 - 50.
Wikipedia. (2010). Pliocene Climate. Retrieved from July 24, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pliocene_climate
Wikipedia. (2010). Pliocene . Retrieved from July 24, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pliocene
Reynolds, S.C. (2005). 'Geographic variation in selected African Mammalian taza: a comparison of modern and fossil conspecifics', pp. 149- 180.
Namibia Tourism. (2010). Springbok. Retrieved July 24, 2010, from http://www.tourbrief.com/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2443
Brain, C.K. (1981). The hunters or the hunted?: An introduction to African cave taphonomy. University of Chicago Press.